Steam cooker and canner.



JfK. HAWKINS. STEAM COOKER AND GANNEB. APPLICATION FILED 811M. 9, 1909.

947,062. Patented Jan; 18,1910. 1 19 \w 3 j 11 I w- %2 I .izpjgl a Q v v, J0 figLHH-i y Y 4 J W 1 1 I V v J. 0 7

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 7

JOHN KAY HAWKINS, OF MOI-IAWK, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR 0F bNE-I-IALF TO AVI IRA. SMITH, 0F KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

STEAM COOKER AND CANNER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 18, 1910.

Application filed September 9, 1909. Serial No. 516,864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN KAY HAWKINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mohawk, in the county of Greene and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam Cookers and Canners; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in steam cookers and canners.

()ne object of the invention is to provide a simple and improved construction of cooking and canning mechanism whereby the contents of cans or glass jars may be thoroughly cooked by the action of the steam in the cooker and without coming into contact with the water in the boiler.

Another object is to provide a cooker and oanner which may be used in connection with a specially constructed boiler or in an ordinary round bottom kettle, and which may be appliedto a specially constructed furnace or heated on an ordinary stove.

\Vith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the device applied to a specially constructed furnace, parts of the latter being broken away; Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the cooker shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing the device in use with an ordinary round bottom kettle; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the perforated can supporting tray removed.

In the embodiment of the invention, I

i provide a boiler which may be of any suit able construction.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a boiler 1 is shown as having inwardly and downwardly inclined or tapered sides 2 whereby the same is adapted to be set into a furnace 3 provided to receive the same and by means of which the water therein is heated.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings, is shown a boiler consisting of an ordinary round bottom kettle 4c which is adapted to be placed upon any suitable heating furnace or spider.

Adapted to be arranged in the boilers 1 or 4 is a canholding tray 5, having in its bottoina series of suitably arranged perforations 6 and provided with inclined sides 7. The tray 5 is supported at a suitable elevation in the boilers by means of the right angularly disposed supporting bars 8 which are crossed beneath and secured to the bot tom of the tray, as shown. The bars 8 are bent upwardly at the outer sides of the tray and have their upper ends bent outwardly to form supporting lugs 9 which are adapted to engage the upper edge of the boiler and thereby support the tray at a suitable elevation in the boiler. The ends 8 after; being bent outwardly to form the lugs 9 are bent inwardly upon themselves to form steamer retaining fingers 10.

Adapted to be engaged with the tray 5 is a steamer which is here shown and preferably consists of a cylindrical body portion 11 which is closed on all sides except its bottom. The steamer is of the proper size to set into the tray 5 'andto cover the cans of goods contained thereon. The steamer is provided with suitable handles 12 and with a series of right angularly projecting ears or lugs 13 which, when the steamer is in place in the tray, are adapted to be engaged with the inner ends of the fingers 10 by turning the steamer in the tray. In the upper side or top of the steamer, 1s arranged a steam controlling cook or valve 14:, the purpose of which will be hereinafter described. Y

In the operation of the device, the tray 13 let down into the boiler and the cans of goods to becooked are arranged thereon in tiers, after which the steamer is placed over the cans thus inclosing the same in a steam tight space. After the water in the boiler is heated, the steam will enter the space 111- closed by the steamer through the apertures or perforations 6 in the bottom of the tray and when the steam has reached suflicient pressure, any water which may be in the compartment inclosed by the steamer, is forced back through the apertures 6 in the tray and caused to rise up in the boiler around the outer sides of the steamer. By this construction and arrangement of the parts, the goods contained in the cans are cooked entirely by the action of the steam and the contents of. the cans are thus prevented from becoming water soaked or It will be understood that in using the cooker that the cans containing the goods to be cooked are either left open or provided With a small perforation formed in the top thereof to permit the steam to enter the same.

The valve 14 is provided in the top of the steamer to regulate the pressure of the steam therein, so that the Water in the boiler will not be forced back and caused to overflow from the boiler, thus the goods may be permitted to cook as long as desired. hen the goods have been sufliciently cooked, the steamer may be removed and the holes in the cans soldered up before the cans are removed from the tray on boiler and while they are still hot. Also when the cans are provided with Wax sealed tops, the wax may be applied before the cans are removed or have cooled, thereby greatly facilitating the sealing operation.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood Without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a cooker of the class described, a

boiler, a perforated tray, supporting bars arranged on said tray and adapted to be engaged with the upper edge of the boiler to hold the tra at the desired elevation, a steamer adapted to be engaged with the tray to form a steam tight compartment above the same, and a valve arranged in the upper side of said steamer to regulate the pressure of the steam in said compartment.

2. In a cooker and steamer of the class described, a boiler, a perforated tray adapted to be arranged in said boiler, supporting bars secured to said tray, supporting lugs formed on said bars and adapted to be en gaged with the upper edge of the boiler to support the tray at the proper elevation therein, a steamer comprising a steam tight receptacle, closed on all sides except its bottom and adapted to have its open bottom engaged with the tray to form a steam tight cooking compartment above the latter, lugs arranged on the sides of said steamer, retaining fingers formed on the supporting bars of the tray and adapted to engage the lugs on the steamer to hold the latter in position, handles arranged on the sides of the steamer, and asteam controlling v: lve arranged in the upper end of the same.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN KAY I-L UVKINS. Vitnesses KELLY J. FRANCIS, It. Lnn Srmvanr. 

